Dancing Flame
by ALotOfNerdyThings
Summary: Her movements were as fluid as the element of her birth, her arms chasing her body as she moved, twisting and twirling around herself. She'd only been taught to breath, everything else was instinct to her. But damn, if she didn't make it look good. Hotaru is a dancer by nature, and a thief by trade. She wasn't meant to save the world. And yet.


**(Hey internet, been a while hasn't it. Sorry for anyone waiting on a new chapter to any of my other fanficts. They've kinda been abandoned. Sorry.**

 **Anyway this is my first shot at an Avatar Oc. Be kind.**

 **Oh, and I spend like a thousand words on one section later on that got a little boring, but is super relevant later on. So like. Sorry? You can skip that if you want I guess.**

 **I'm only saying it the once, I don't own Avatar, only Hotaru and any story lines related to her)**

Hotaru smiled shyly at one of the passing soldiers. He grinned back as she lowered her eyes and forced a blush onto her cheeks, and for a moment it looked like it had worked and he was planning to make his way over to her, before a shout caught his attention and a rather annoyed girl violently grabbed his arm, shooting daggers at Hotaru before pulling him away. Shame. His uniform showed he was more than a common foot soldier and judging by his stomach girth he was paid well. Hotaru and her friends would have eaten well for weeks if she'd managed to snatch his coin purse from him.

The town that she and her friends had made camp near was a small colonial village called Tomari. It had a small population for such an old town, but large considering how deep it was in the Earth Kingdom, and from what she was able to gather it was one of the earliest pushes into the Earth Kingdom that the Fire Nation had made, but hadn't received much attention form the homeland since. The village had buildings common in the Earth Kingdom, with walls of stone and simple build, but Hotaru hadn't spotted a single piece of green cloth since she'd arrived in the village a few days ago, nor heard word of any prison camps nearby. The original inhabitants of the Village were long gone, replaced now with only Fire Nation citizens.

The sun was only now starting to drop, and the festival was truly beginning, with more people spilling into the streets in bright red clothing and colourful masks. An almost cloudless evening, the inhabitants of Tomari were given a perfect sunset for the event, with deep reds and yellows crossing to give a brilliant orange glow to the world. It was the perfect environment to start a fire festival, with the very air feeling warmer than usual, likely due from all the fires that had been lit at sun rise, and a buzz that was common on events such as these.

Hotaru had come to the village seeking supplies for herself and her comrades, her time with the Fire gypsies letting her blend into most civilizations seamlessly, making her the ideal choice for entering any towns. It also helped she was a trained martial artist. When she'd arrived too the small town setting up for the huge festival, Hotaru had thanked the Spirits and sighed up as a performer, hoping to gain a few extra coins. Her comrades had agreed with her, and she'd spent the last few days in town, being put up at the local inn with all the other performers that had been drawn to the festival.

She wasn't scheduled to perform until an hour after sunset, and the stage that she was designated was currently occupied by a mixture of circus animals performing varies tricks. The animal's trainers weren't particularly fond of her and her incessant need to pet all their animals, and had banned her from being back stage while they were performing. Because of this she was forced to wear a large cloak over her outfit, with the hood pulled up and a cheap mask she'd been forced to buy in place of her veil. It wasn't a bad mask per say, with the face being pure white, with red lips and red eye accents and a few red jewels under the eye and on the sides, but it did make it hard to breath steadily though. Her dark hood made it that she stood out easily amongst all the fine red and gold clothing, but she wasn't so concerned. Masked festivals were her favourite for the animosity they granted her.

She tried to stay close to her stage, so that when her time came she had easy access to it and wouldn't be forced to rush into position, but Spirits were the Animal trainers boring. The poor creatures were forced to jump or fly through flaming hoops all the while their trainers directed bursts of flames or flaming whips at them, and while Hotaru could hear the villagers oohing and ahhing at the sceptical, she had seen the same routine hundreds of times being played out, with better trained and better kept animals, and Hotaru had abandoned the circus animals early on for more entertaining means.

A puppet show was currently being played at the theatre, showcasing Fire Lord Sozin's victory against the barbaric Air benders, a common trope in these events, and each time Hotaru saw one they seemed to get more over the top and outlandish, with the Air benders becoming wider and scarier, and their defeat involving more and more fire.

She gave off a small giggle at the Monks antics, before leaving the children gaping and gasping at the theatre and heading past the stands selling little trinkets and keepsakes to anyone who passed close enough, stopping every so often to take a closer look at the wares, before heading towards the food stands. Being a Fire Nation village narrowed the possible food options to those from the Fire Nation, but every once in a while, she stumbled across a stand selling Earth Kingdom foods, and she'd even once come across Water Tribe inspired food years ago to her surprise, and a stand that claimed to use Air nomad recipes. But as Hotaru wandered through the crowds, her empty fingers slipping into pockets and coming away with a few coins, she saw only Fire Nation food. Unfortunately, even though Tomari was so far in the Earth Kingdom, it seemed that villagers were trying to connect so strongly with their homeland, that they forwent all other options.

Sighing, Hotaru eyed one of the larger stands, with a large man calling out to all passer-byers. Fire Flakes were nice enough, but it wouldn't be the best idea to have some before going on stage.

Maybe just a small bag.

"Hello little lady! Would you like some Flaming Fireflakes? Hottest in town!" the vender yelled at her as she made who way over, doing his best to be heard over the crowd.

"I'll take your smallest bag please," Hotaru said, reaching into her, now full, coin purse she'd stored in her hood. The vender smiled, before turning his back to her and scooping some flakes from a large sac into a small bag, no larger than the palm of her hand.

"You sure you wouldn't like a larger size? You'll be dying for more," he said, turning back to Hotaru.

"No thank you. I may come back for more later though," Hotaru said, handing her coin over and taking her snack.

"I'm sure you will Little one! Now go enjoy the festival! I hear we'' be getting a flame dancer!"

Hotaru smiled thinly, before leaving the vender and shoving a handful of Flakes into her mouth. The spices burned, along with just the general heat of the treat.

Shoving more food into her mouth, Hotaru weaved and ducked through the crowd. She had spent too long mulling about at the puppet show and stores, with the sun having set and the world now only being lit in orange flame. She would be pressing her luck to make it to the stage in time to perform. Eventually, the large crowd that surrounded the food stalls broke and she was able to break into a sprint, her hand fisted around the bag of Flakes. She hadn't even gotten to eat half of them and Fireflakes were terrible when reheated.

Her feet pounding so heavily on the ground, Hotaru barely had time to stop before she hit another crowd, this one formed around the stage she would be preforming on. Apparently, the animal trainers had been better then she thought, and drawn a large, and thick, crowd. Groaning internally, she saw the festival speaker clearing the stage of the animal trainers, raising his hands high as he directed the crowd in cheers.

"The trainers of the wild, conquers of nature, Amal and Dinkar!" the crowd roared as the trainers took a bow, before exiting behind the stage, leading a tiger-dillo with them.

Grinding her teeth, Hotaru saw no way to make it to the stage before her session started. The crowd was too thick and densely packed for her to be able to weave through, with people standing shoulder to shoulder. Children and teens pushed their way forward, only to hit areas that halted their progression and left them trapped among the throngs of bodies.

"And now," oh no. Eyes darting around, Hotaru saw a small stand selling carved wooden animals off to the left. "I give you the beautiful," _well that's kind_ , Hotaru thought, racing towards the stand, her hands grabbing the stands roof and startling the vender. "The talented," using muscles she'd trained years to acquire, Hotaru pulled herself onto the stands roof, before jumping to the closest building's roof, which was unfortunately built after the Fire Nation took control of the village, giving it a pointed, not flat, roof. "Dancing flame of our beloved homeland," Hotaru did her best to run along the roofs side, the slope having a small area of evenish tiling, giving her steady footing. "Hoshi the Fire Gypsy!"

A quick drum beat began as the festival speaker disappeared in a flash of flame through the hidden trapdoor. Throwing her cloak off of her and letting in fly to the ground, Hotaru used a blast of fire from her hands and feet to fly over the side of the crowd, and land just off centre of the stage, her back facing the audience, and a slight wobble as she landed in a crouch. For a moment the drum stopped, and Hotaru took a deep gulp of air, trying to steady her breathing, though the mask didn't help.

She heard the startled gasps from the crowd as she slowly rose from her crouch, and another gasp of shock when a single drum sounded out and her body coiled around itself and her knees bent as she struck out, now facing the crowd. Another single drum beat and her hands and head struck out leftward, as her hips jutted rightwards.

The last single beat hit and she faced her audience fully for the first time as one of her arms snaked towards the crowd.

For a moment the crowd was silent, before a cheer went out. Under her mask Hotaru smiled, as she flicked her hair behind her.

Her long black hair hung in loose curls around her, with a golden headband with small circular charms falling lightly on her head, large golden arm bracers sat on each wrist, along with a dragon bracelet near her left shoulder, and a golden necklace rested on her collarbone, with small flat circles following her theme. Her shirt was Fire Nation red, and cut low, just above her breasts, and ended just before her belly button, in a V shape, leaving most of her back and stomach exposed. In-between her breast a yellow gem was attached to her shirt, with three chians of beads falling down just to the end of her shirt, along with three groups of beads sown into the sides of her shirt, circling her. On each of her breasts sat three golden flakes in the shapes of leaves with two large ones fanning outwards and a smaller one facing her head. Her skirt was the same red as her shirt, and was cut into separate parts, giving her legs more mobility. The skirt ended just above her ankles, and little beads were sown into the top of it, and every time she moved, they gave off a soft chime. She wore simple sandals, the same golden colour as her accents.

Smiling under her mask, the drums began again, and Hotaru was forced to stop enjoying the applause of the Villagers.

Her hands danced around one another as her stomach rolled, and a chime hit as she began to move rightwards, only for another chime to go off and her body to reverse its movements before continuing them once again as the third chime rang out a second later. Her hands flowed around each other and her body in slow movements as her stomach rolled as the drum began to steadily ring out.

Her hands raised skywards, as her legs lowered her to the floor in the opposite direction. Her body rolled around away from the crowd, with her back now presented to them, as her left arm flowed away from her body and juttered at each drum beat. Spinning in time with the music to face the crowd again, her hands danced and chased each other as she lowered her body slightly, before they flowed outwards. Her hands continued to dance in the air as her hips shook and her stomach rolled. Her movements flowed like water, but every so often, she would sharply retrace her movements before following through on her original move.

She bent forwards and twirled, standing sidewards to the crowd, before a second drum began and her movements changed from the flow of traditionalist dance into something wilder.

Her hips shook, and the shaking rose through her body, until her chest and shoulders shook in a similar fashion. The hand closest to the crowd drew back, and then swiped through the air, a stream of fire proceeding it. She followed the same pattern with her other hand, and her movements sped up, no longer the fluid and slow movements of before.

Her body shook as she moved about, no longer the stationary dancer. Her legs kicked outwards and a stream of flame shot under her. Her arms had been moving slowly now rushed about, chasing flames. She twirled in a circle and found herself seeing nothing but fire on all sides, before they died down, and rolled across her bare skin.

Her body rolled and shook with movement as she danced about, with flames being added every so often. Her hips moving in time with the beat as she danced away from the crowd before returning to it, her arms lazing about in the air as flames rolled around her hands. She twirled again in another flame vortex, before coxing her hip outwards and spinning once again in the opposite direction before lowering to the ground for a moment. She rose slowly, her chest swaying from side to side, as her hands began dancing in front of her again. She smiled under her mask as she danced closer to the edge of the stage, her hips shaking and her hands moving faster. As she came to the stages edge, looking down the closest to her, she caught sight of blue. A oung boy, judging from his height, wore a smiling form of the Blue Spirit mask. Probably not the best option at the moment. Hotaru ignored him, focusing on her movements as they slowed slightly, her arms flowing in one direction as her stomach rolled again.

She twirled once more, and this time she kept her fire Burning, having it chase after her now, as her hands moved away from it, it rushed towards them. Her hands flowed away from her body as her hips juttered in the opposite direction, the flame followed them. Her arms then rose and made circles around her, the fire morphed from a single line into an unbroken circle. She rose her hands above her head and the circle broke and chased after them, and as her hands flowed back down towards her stomach, the flame stayed suspended in air, growing brighter and stronger as she repeated the motion again, before erupting in a huge explosion sending it skywards.

As she heard the awed gasp of the crowd, Hotaru parted the curtain of flame and twisted her hands some more and shook her body, before twirling in a vortex of flame and resting with one knee touching the floor as the other was directed at the sky, a hand on her hip and one resting on the leg on the ground. She raised her head, before bowing it, and the flames that had been dying down around her shot skywards once again.

When they dropped, Hotaru was gone, escaping down the trapdoor. She waited for a moment, Colonials had some odd ideas about Fire Nation propriety, especially those who had never been to the Fire Nation in their life.

A few seconds past and she heard the crowd explode in cheers.

Grinning, she took her mask off and set it down on one of the tables that house a multitude of props, before breathing in a few large lungsful of air, calming her heart down. She had stored a skin of water down here before the show, and while it had been slightly heated from all the fire, it was still cool enough for her to enjoy.

Hotaru wiped her brow of sweat, before picking up her black shawl and draping it over her head and arms, and tying her black veil in its place. Her clothing was damp with sweat, as well as a little ash, but unfortunately, she had to left her usual clothes back at the inn.

As Hotaru fiddled with her veil, a sudden thought stopped her.

Her cloak.

It had her coin purse sown into it.

She'd thrown all her coin away!

"Agni!" Hotaru swore, pulling her shawl closer to her, and running out from under the stage.

The only exit from the under stage was to the right of where she'd come from, meaning she had an entire crowd to navigate. Hotaru got more looks now that she'd abandoned her cloak, and after her performance, but she didn't pay them any attention as she weaved through the crowd, who had gathered to see the Flame Magician Tapan.

She pushed past the crowd, fighting her way towards the building she'd jumped from.

"Thank you! For my next trick, I need a volunteer from the audience!" Tapan called out. Hotaru ignored him, even as she felt his eyes land on her.

"Hoshi? Care for a follow up performance?" damn him.

Stilling her movements, Hotaru faced her fellow performer, who had turned the entire audience towards her.

Smiling, Hotaru shook her head. "Sorry Tapan not this time. I'm not much of a damsel."

"How about you then, little lady?" Tapan asked, his attention turned towards a girl in a cloak with blue under cloth.

Frowning at the odd colour, Hotaru tuned it out and began pushing her way towards the build she'd jumped from again, this time with the crowd parting a little more easily.

As Tapan began his performance, Hotaru eyed an alleyway underneath the building. Frowning, she made her way towards it, her eyes searching for her cloak. When she didn't see it, she groaned and made her way further into the alleyway, lighting a fire in her hand to scare the shadows away.

Halfway down the alleyway, she found a few scattered coins, but no cloak. "Agni's flaming ass," Hotaru muttered, scooping the coins up.

As she exited the alleyway, annoyed at her lost profits, Hotaru saw a burst of air, as a body rocketed into the air.

Gaping, she saw a young boy land in the centre of the stage, just in front of the girl that Tapan had chosen, with a flick of his hand, the boy shot a blast of air at the flame dragon, only for it to burst into bright colourful confetti. The boy looked confused for a second, before the crowd started booing him.

A second boy, this one taller than the other, forced his way onto the stage, and began untying the girl as the smaller boy began dancing, terribly, in an attempt to appease the crowd.

Hotaru ignored his terrible dancing, her gaze locked on the blue arrow tattoo on his forehead.

"Spirits," she said, her voice coming out breathy.

Airbender.

Avatar.

The Spirits damned Avatar.

Was dancing like a fool.

Was a child.

The world was doomed.

The other boy and girl pulled off their masks, revealing water tribe features.

While Hotaru had already figured out the identity of the child, though still too shocked to do little more than stare like an idiot, the crowd just seemed to catch on. "Hey, that kids the Avatar!" someone called out, and the next second all the guards began to descend upon the trio.

Cursing, Hotaru began to rush forwards, only to catch sight of someone behind the stage.

Chey.

He motioned to the Avatar and his companions, before throwing a smoke bomb at the ground.

If her mother could see her now, Hotaru was fairly certain she'd have burnt her tongue off with all the curses she was using.

Running through the alleyway, Hotaru looked for anything that would send her skywards.

Her gaze drifted past broken bits of wood and trash that had been left out, and landed on a group of barrels. Jumping on top of them, she forced fire from her feet as she jumped, adding a boost of power, that sent her flying in the sky.

Just barely scraping the bottom of the roof, Hotaru breathed in deeply, forcing a large breath of hair from her nostrils as she added everything she had to the fire propelling her just a little more, giving Hotaru the leverage she needed to climb onto the roof.

Not having time to regain her energy, Hotaru took a few steps away from the ledge, before racing towards it a using her flames to shoot towards the next roof.

Running along the roofs of Tomari, Hotaru scanned the ground for any sign of the Avatar and his companies or Chey, and judging by the hussle of soldiers racing further into the centre of town, Hotaru was going to take a mad guess and say that's where they were.

Breathing deeply, she took off along the roofs, using a combination of fire and acrobatics to jump from roof to roof, until she finally caught up to the group.

Chey had led the Avatar and his companions down an alley in the hopes to escape a group of Fire Nation soldiers chasing them, only for a second group to appear at the exit to the Alleyway. As the group began to back away, the other exit was blocked off by half a dozen soldiers, trapping the them in.

One of the soldiers pulled back, his arms drawing close to his chest as he let out a stream of fire.

Hotaru didn't think.

 **(What did you think? To wordy? No enough wordy? The Dance scene dragged on, didn't it? Sorry, I tried to cut it back. The dance is based on is a dancer called Habibi Lal and if you want to find it just copy and paste XWDRdJ6O4Cy into youtube. That dance does a bit longer then Hotaru's did, but it was already to wordy for me, so I cut the time back.**

 **Also, I don't mean to offend anyone with the use of the word Gypsy, or anything associated with it. I thought for a while over what to call the people that Hotaru travelled with, and Fire Vagabond does have a nice ring to it, it didn't flow like Fire Gypsy does. And I couldn't use Nomad could I?**

 **If you've got any ideas or suggestions, just leave a review or message me** **😊)**


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